list of standard command words & hand signals?

i was wondering if there's a big list somewhere out there of standard/most-used words and hand signals for commands? we're going to puppy training class, and the instructor said pick a release word, release or done. i had been using free...

I don't know of any comprehensive list of official standard words or hand signals. However, here is one that I offer for interest only as it is offered more for translation purposes than as a definitive list of commands:

Several threads in this forum alone will show you that people tend to use what they are most familiar with, and for good reason.

You want words that come naturally to you as the handler, not that come naturally to someone else. For example, you use 'free' as a release, I've always used 'break', and I can bet that the next two people to read this thread will use something else.

I use "ok" for my release. I think it's important to use your own commands/signals so that YOU can remember them. my obedience class used "go to bed" but i use "blanket" for my cue and i'm consistent with using the same one. and since i almost always have treats in my hand i use one finger for stay as opposed to an open hand.

I use mehetsz, as a release word, but I'm from another language.
It basically means "you can go".
The only English command that I use is "touch", that is because I didn't find a good hungarian word for that.

ok. thank's y'all. i have to think of a term for *park it* now, meaning something like a stay except you don't have to hold the position. i don't like park it because i'm always saying park, as in "let's go to the park."

I use "wait". My signal is an open palm, facing my body that i swing down in a half circle from my chest until my arm is extended. It means "you can do whatever the heck you want to BEHIND the invisible line i just drew". It's good to train it using a doorway or hallway until they get the concept. Use your body presence to push them back behind the line if they try to cross it.

I use "wait". My signal is an open palm, facing my body that i swing down in a half circle from my chest until my arm is extended. It means "you can do whatever the heck you want to BEHIND the invisible line i just drew". It's good to train it using a doorway or hallway until they get the concept. Use your body presence to push them back behind the line if they try to cross it.

eta: my camera has the movies in .mov type. I can't upload that file type.

I specifically remember my camera used to have the movies in .avi format. it's a Kodak point and shoot, i don't remember which model, anyone have any idea how to change it? *sigh* always camera issues over here!

My camera shoots in .mpeg2, so I don't entirely know what you're dealing with, but I used to have a very hard time trying to edit my movies since almost no program would edit .mpeg2 (only mpeg1 or avi) until I got Sony Vegas. But anyway, I used to convert all my files to avi. There are a ton of free converters out there. I can't remember which one I used, but just to an internet search and you'll find several.

I also use "ok" as my release word, but Kenz tends to get confused between Stay and Wait in our world. Generally, I use Stay to mean "Don't move from where you are" and Wait gets used when we're walking/biking/boarding and means "stop moving and wait for me to tell you when you can start again". She does good with them most of the time, but they seem to overlap in her head.

quicktime-which is free will convert .mov's to mp4's which you can upload almost anywhere. I don't think you need the upgrade editor to convert, if you do it's only $19.99. I too had a camera that created these and was often irriatated by it. Just export and set the export file type to mpeg4 or whatever you need. Quicktime also has an mpeg2 playback component you can buy for $19.99. Both are purchasable and downloadable immediately if you need them. I found it quite easy and useful for all these video formats I have with different cameras.

As for signals I usually ask people I train with and trainers and incoporate the things I like. For things like wait usually a signal that is a barrier like my hand down and palm facing dog is easier for me to remember and dog to react to. Just as sit by pointing up gathers the dog's focus up and the head goes up and it's fairly easy to get a sit with initial luring behavior that way, just as pointing one finger down at the ground for down is easy. I don't know of any listing or master grouping of cues. You might check for akc or various training clubs requirements for confirmation or showing and see if they have any standards.

I stopped using OK for a release after years of false releases because OK was too common in my conversations at agility, obedience etc. I now use free. I don't recommend ok or any word you might commonly use on a daily basis. :dogsmile: